Monday, April 08, 2019

Bartleby, the Scrivener

Bartleby, the Scrivener is a short story by Herman Melville. You can read it online here or here. It begins,
I am a rather elderly man. The nature of my avocations for the last thirty years has brought me into more than ordinary contact with what would seem an interesting and somewhat singular set of men, of whom as yet nothing that I know of has ever been written:—I mean the law-copyists or scriveners. I have known very many of them, professionally and privately, and if I pleased, could relate divers histories, at which good-natured gentlemen might smile, and sentimental souls might weep. But I waive the biographies of all other scriveners for a few passages in the life of Bartleby, who was a scrivener the strangest I ever saw or heard of. While of other law-copyists I might write the complete life, of Bartleby nothing of that sort can be done. I believe that no materials exist for a full and satisfactory biography of this man. It is an irreparable loss to literature. Bartleby was one of those beings of whom nothing is ascertainable, except from the original sources, and in his case those are very small. What my own astonished eyes saw of Bartleby, that is all I know of him, except, indeed, one vague report which will appear in the sequel.
Have it read to you in a Librivox recording:


It has been adapted for film several times, including this 1969 version:



There was an adaptation in 1972 starring Paul Scofield and in 2001 there was this comedy version with Crispin Glover, Maury Chaykin, Carrie Snodgress, Dick Martin, and Joe Piscopo:







12 comments:

  1. I'm intrigued by scrivener but so put off by Melville. I found Moby Dick to be such a yawn. I had to write a paper on it for a philosophy class, but couldn't get through that book. The only way I passed was to watch the movie with Gregory Peck and Richard Basehart.

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    1. I loved Moby Dick! I've read it 3 times lol

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  2. I'll check these! Thank you for your reviews!
    Susixxx

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  3. I think I had to read this in college, but I have never seen it made into a film. I think it might be time for me to listen to some American classics for a change, instead of all the popular titles. Happy new week!

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    1. I had never read this one before but found it interesting, and I loved seeing the comedy version lol

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  4. This is another story I've not heard of, but sounds quite interesting. Valerie

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    1. I'd seen it in lists of his work but had never read it before I came across it online. It is an interesting tale.

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  5. Not sure how I missed this, dear, but chalk it up to my insanely busy schedule right now. Like Valerie, I've never heard of this story before. Sorry I missed it yesterday.

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    1. There are so many of the old books that I've never read and sometimes never heard of. I like the free stuff ;)

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  6. I couldn't make it through Moby Dick. I made it through reading this but it exhausted me. Maybe the videos would be more interesting, but after having survived a reading they couldn't entice me. Different strokes, I guess. LOL!

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    1. I'm a big fan of Moby Dick, so tastes definitely differ ;) You might find the comedy version worth a look. A take-off on the story lol

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